1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus in which digitized picture signals and digitized information signals are recorded on a magnetic tape through a rotational head while forming a series of inclined video tracks on the magnetic tape and are reproduced from the tracks of the magnetic tape, and more particularly to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus in which any of groups of digitized signals transmitted at different data rates is recorded and reproduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus in which digitized signals are recorded and reproduced in/from a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape through a rotational head, a video tape recorder, a digital tape recorder or the like are conventionally known. In the above conventional apparatus, picture signals and audio signals converted into digital signals are recorded at a high recording density and are reproduced.
However, digital signals are recorded and reproduced at a fixed recording data rate in the conventional magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus. Therefore, in cases where digital signals transmitted at a data rate lower than the fixed recording data rate are recorded in the conventional apparatus, a remaining data region between data regions for the digital signals is filled with zero data "0" to change the digital signals to processed digital signals having the fixed recording data rate, and the processed digital signals are recorded and reproduced at the fixed recording data rate in the conventional apparatus. Therefore, even though the digital signals transmitted at the data rate lower than the fixed recording data rate are input to the conventional apparatus, an allowable recording time in the conventional apparatus for digital signals transmitted at a data rate lower than the fixed recording data rate cannot be lengthened. In other words, there is a drawback that a recording capacity for the digital signals transmitted at the data rate lower than the fixed recording data rate is lower than that for the digital signals transmitted at the fixed recording data rate.